


Snapshots of Second Love

by blueorangecrush



Category: Baby-Sitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Falling In Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 19:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4577409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueorangecrush/pseuds/blueorangecrush
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Watson and Elizabeth, from first meeting to engagement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snapshots of Second Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DesertVixen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/gifts).



> The older I get, the more I appreciate older characters and those who show first love doesn't always have to be One True Love, not even in books. Watson and Elizabeth are a great example of that, so I'm happy to have had the chance to write them for this exchange. :)

The first time Watson Brewer sees Elizabeth Thomas, she is on the phone in her office, having an exasperated conversation with someone named Charlie.

Lisa had told Watson that she wanted a divorce less than a month before. Watson had to wonder if this attractive young woman who was the senior CPA assigned to his company was going through something similar. 

The grapevine gives him the answer: Charlie is Elizabeth’s son, not her husband. He was sixteen, which means Elizabeth is probably older than Watson had realized. 

Of course, this could only be a professional relationship. What was he thinking?

—

The second time Elizabeth Thomas runs into Watson Brewer, she quite literally _runs into_ him in a hallway, like a scene from a mediocre romantic comedy. 

Papers everywhere, heads bumping as the two of them bend to pick them up at the same time, the whole nine yards.

He apologizes profusely, repeatedly, and she finds herself doing the same.

He cuts her off by asking if he can buy her lunch next Monday.

She accepts. It’s just lunch. On Monday. It’s nothing like a date.

Which explains why she’s in the mall on Friday afternoon, shopping for a new dress.

—

Watson wishes he hadn’t made this impulsive offer to Elizabeth. Their working relationship is too important. 

He doesn’t want to create a conflict of interest.

He doesn’t want to hire a new CPA firm.

He doesn’t want to explain to his staff or his shareholders why they would need to hire a new CPA firm.

So he explains it to Elizabeth instead. He’s even more apologetic for creating this appearance than he was for bumping heads with her last week. It’s not that she isn’t a lovely person he wants to spend more time with, it’s just business.

She understands.

—

Elizabeth is glad that Watson was willing to do the right thing. She’s just sorry that it is the right thing to do.

Watson is thoughtful and stable and kind and decent. She needs more of that in her life.

They’ll keep it professional while her firm is auditing his company. They’ll give it time, and space, and afterwards, if they want to, it’s not like they won’t know how to find each other.

Besides, it’s good practice to change auditing firms. So he can definitely take his business elsewhere next year.

Or, well, um. She’s blushing. This is ridiculous.

—

“Hello, Elizabeth. Is it too soon?”

Watson calls her exactly six months and one day after the audit is complete. It’s not too soon. 

He asks her to come with him on Saturday to an antique show, and go out for lunch and a nice drive in the country.

Saturday will be exactly thirteen months and one day after Lisa served Watson with divorce papers. Elizabeth will be the first woman he has gone on a real date with since Lisa canceled their standing date nights.

And no, Watson doesn’t think that it’s a moment too soon for that, either.

—

He might not look like the romantic hero of anyone’s dreams, but he kisses like one.

Elizabeth wants to kiss him again. 

She wants to kiss him goodnight, long and lingering, the promise of another time together very soon.

She wants them to make out like teenagers in the theater of a movie they are halfheartedly paying attention to.

(That last thought is a little uncomfortable because first, she has teenagers, and second, she had been pregnant and barely not a teenager when she married Patrick, so she knows where this can lead all too well. But she wants, anyway.)

—

The best new part of Watson’s life doesn’t mean that his old life stops. 

He has Karen and Andrew every other weekend. He wishes he had more time with them. 

Being a senior vice-president of a large hotel chain means doing a lot of travel, and a lot of that travel took him away from Karen and Andrew. And from Lisa.

The more he was gone, the more angry Lisa got with him, and the more he wanted to be gone. 

He was nervous about making the same kind of mistakes again if, when, things with Elizabeth became more serious.

—

Elizabeth knows Watson sent her flowers because he misses her, but also because he doesn’t want her to be angry that he’s taking care of his ex-wife’s broken foot. She wants him to realize that she never would have been.

She supposes a lot of women would be jealous if the men they dated did for their ex-wives all the things that Watson is doing for Lisa. But to her, it’s reassuring. 

Patrick had disappeared completely when he left. David Michael had never really known his father at all, and even Kristy and Sam mostly had handfuls of faded memories. 

—

Watson doesn’t realize, at first, where he is walking. He knows that he’s been sticking to the same area but not why.

Turns out, he is pacing the block in front of the best jewelry store in Stamford.

When he does realize it, he’s not quite sure what to do about it. He knows what he wants to do about it. He just doesn’t know if he can, if he should, if it’s too soon, if Elizabeth will be happy or scared.

He thinks he’s thinking about it too much. He takes a deep breath and walks into the store.

—

Elizabeth feels a little bit guilty that the first thing she thinks when she sees the ring is _Patrick could never have gotten me anything that nice, and even if he could, he wouldn’t have bothered._

But only a little. Because “bothering” to get her something beautiful is part of who Watson is, part of why she loves him.

She’s not marrying Watson for his money. The last six years have shown she’s capable of earning it on her own.

She loves him for his kindness, and his generosity. That’s not the same thing, not at all.

She says “Yes!”


End file.
